JOUR.L~AL OF THE COUNTY DONEGAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY in Newport Protestant Ch\lrCh and a cenotaph,· about 80 feet high, in what were formerly the grounds of Rahine House--now divided among the tenants. ilt has inscriptions in three languages, Irish, French and· English. She left numerous progeny. Prominent among them a r e the Alexander family, who until recently, resided at Imlick, Carrigans, Co. Donegal, of rwhich 1Hugh O'Donel-Alexander, Esq., of London, the English Chess champion, is perhaps the best known. LARKFJE,LD BRAJNCH When Sir Niall Garibh was arrested in 1608 his >brother Aodh Buidhe was taken with him. The latter was, however, released the :llollowing year and r·eceived a grant of land in Kilmacrennan in 1610. He lived until 164\J and was called "O'Donnell" after the d::ath of Col. Manus, of Newport, at the Battle of Ber]!bunb in 1646. A·odh Buidhe's son John, entered the Spanish Service and died in 1655. John's elder son, Hugh, was the famous "Balldearg" O'Donnell. ''Balldearg" is, as the word denotes, a red spot or blemish 21bout the size of a thumb-print, found on the body. It is recognised as the hall-mark of a "true" or "real" O'Donnell. Some of the older Donegal people do not re- .fer to the S'pot as "Balldearg" ·but as "Balldearbhtha na nDalP eh;" and translate it as the distinguishing or genuine mark of the O'Donnel1s, i.e. only those possessing it belong to the main line of the Clan! While the "Balldearg" is hereditary to the House of Larkfield it is not uncommon amon·g certain Rosses families to-dav . .Although Hugh Balldearg was born in Ireland he went into the Spanish Service at an early aite and was known abroad ;F the Earl of Tyrconnell. He became testimentary heir to Hu1:1h Allbert, inherited the family papers and passed them to the Austrian Branch. When the Williamite wars broke out he desired to return to Ireland but pe1miss10n was refused him as England was then the ally of Spain; and France, who supported 1J ames, her enemy. The Balld~arg therefore, left Spain without licence, reached Cork four days after the Boyne, met the fleeing James at Kinsale and was recommended by him to Talbot, Lord Lieutenant and Commander-in-Chief, who had taken the title "Duke of Tyrconnell." The Irish immediately rallied to O'Donnell and Tallbot !became alarmed. He did his utmost to undermine the Balldearg's position and treated him scandalously throughout the en'tire c.ampaign. With the failure of the Jacobite cause O'Donnell found himself in the unenvi Ahle position of being without either a country or a fortune. He 'Was disgusted with the treatment he had received since his return to Ireland. He could not go back to Spain as hewas a deserter. He was a soldier of fortune and so threw in his lot with the Williamites. Even this proved disastrous as shortly afterwards he was deprived of his commission because he would not take the Test. He was fortunate enough to procure a small pension and thereupon retracted his steps to the Continent. After a time he succeeded in overcoming his difficulties in Spain and once more re-entered her service. He rose to the rank of Major-General, dying without issue circa 1703/4. 27'2. John's second son Connell, who was James ll's Lord Lieutenant of Donegal, was next considered "O'Donnell" by the Irish. He married his cousin Graee, .diaughter of Rory who settled in Ballycroy. Their son, Hugh, migrated from ·Donegal, first to ilVIullaghbane, Go. Fermanagh, and thence to Lar,kfield, near IManorhamilton, in the County of Leitrim. The latter remained the family seat down to our times. Pocoke met Hugh at the house of Colonel Foliot, near -Ballyshannon, on the
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